Hay-handling method and device



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METHOD AND DEVICE HAY HAN DL 1236- 1924 23 Sheets sheet 1 Filed August 3..

J. W. CALLAHAN ET AL HAY HANDLING METHOD AND DEVICE Feb. 2, 1926. 1,s71,539

Filed August 18 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 7741x7111 Qua/7am l ze/DEwiwbwTey.

Feb, 2 1926;

J. W. CALLAHAN ET AL HAY HANDLING METHOD AND DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed August 18 awe-Moms 07m @LZZaLM u,

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attorney Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNKTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EV. CALLAHAN AND GEORGE E. DUSINBERRE, OF WELLSBORO, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO CALLAHAN DISTRIBUTOR COIYIPANY, INCORPORATED, OF WELLS- BOBO, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

HAY-HANDLING METHOD AND DEVICE.

Application filed August 18, 1924. Serial No. 732,864.

To (/Z'Z who/1'1. it 'Hldj/ concern.

lie it known that we, JOHN lV. CALLAHAN and Gnoncn l3. DUsINnEnRn, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of \Vcllsboro, county of Tioga, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Handling iliethods and Devices, of which the following is a full and complete specification.

'ihe present invention deals with methods and devices for the handling and distribution of hay and the like whereby the material is removed from a pile or load by the engagement of a sling so disposed that the amount to be lifted in each successive movement is taken from the top of the pile without disturbing the remainder. The present invention also relates to establishing a guide or directive means for distributing the sling load of material by gravity to the ultimate destination.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and means to segregate and form a bundle of loose interlaced material from a pile or load of the same by inserting a curved needle in the pile of the material, and drawing a sling through the material by means of the needle.

It is a further object to provide a needle or harpoon substantially semi-circular in form, having means at one end for the attachment of a flexible sling element which needle when forced into a pile of loose interlaced material will seek a point of exit in the same plane as the point of entry, thereby permitting the flexiblesling element to be drawn through the material for the purpose of segregating a quantity thereof.

It is a still further object to provide a method of insertion of a flexible guiding means through the segregated quantity of loose interlaced material, by drawing the same through the mater al simultaneously with the sling by means of the curved needle or subsequently to the act of segregation by the threading of the sling through the material.

This guide or directive means has one end capable of attachment to a part of the sling assembly while the other end is located at the point of destination.

In accomplishing this and other objects use is made of an improved sling assembly including a needle or harpoon which can be inserted in the pile of material and can be threaded through the same, emerging from the mass of hay or the like on the same side in-which it is inserted. As a part of the assembly, the device carries a tripping block for releasing the end of the sling after the load has been elevated to the point desired. The sling can readily be adjusted to suit the size of each load.

The methods described hereinafter and the instrumentalities by which they are carried out have been found of advantage in developing and extending the improvements described in prior applications for patentcf John W. Callahan and George B. Dusinberre, Ser. No. 611,115, filed January 6, 1923, and Ser. No. 683,175, filed December 28, 1923. As illustrating these methods and the preferred instrumentalities for carrying them out we have shown in the accompanying drawings one form of our invention the essential novelty of which may be equally well demonstrated in various modifications and structural changes.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the needle as applied to a mass of hay.

Fig. 2 is a view of the same with the sling and guide rope in position for elevating the material.

Fig. 3 is a view of a modification with means for constricting the material as it is elevated.

4 is a further modification for constricting the material.

Fig. 5 is a side view broken away, showing a modified form of lifting tackle with a slack take up on the sling.

Fig. 6 indicates the manner in which the form shown in Fig. 5 is adjusted to the load and the subsequent threading of the flexible guiding means through the load.

Fig. 7 is a view of a modification with means for constricting the material as it is elevated.

Fig. 8 shows an arrangement in which a constriction is obtained in a relatively short lift of the material.

For the purpose of example we have shown a lifting cable 11, from which is suspended a pulley block 12, having a clevis 13. The clevis, in turn, carries a hook 14, and a chain or equivalent member 15. The member 15 carries a tripping device denoted generally by the numeral 16. This device is attached to a ring or, pulley 17 for a pur pose to be outlined hereinafter, and includes side members 18 between which are held a pivoted hook 19 the shank of which 20 is caught in the trigger member 21, also held between the sides 18. A trip rope 22 is carried through the device and extends within reach of the operator.

Associated with the above device is the sling rope or chain 23, having an eye 2st at its free end, while the opposite end is joined by the eye to the rope 26. The sling 23 is sui'iiciently long to encircle the amount of material which forms one load, although provision'can be made to adjust the end of Fig. 1 or the free end 2%, Fig. 5 01' both as in Fig. 3, to accommodate different sized loads.

A curved needle or harpoon 27 is the device by means of which the sling is placed through the material for the purpose of segregating a quantity thereof. This needle'inay be of either circular or diamond shaped cross section.

In the forms illustrated, the needle is substantially semicircular, provided at one end with a piercing point and at the other with a book 28, adapted toengage with an eye 3-6 of a flexible means to be threaded through the material.

By the utilization of a curved needle of this form, the needle when inserted in the hay will emerge in substantially the. same plane as the point of entry. \Vhen the needle is therefore held in position for insertion into the material, the position of the eye end is approximately indicative of the subsequent point of emergence of the needle.

It is some times desirable to constrict the load of material further while being elevated and one means of accomplishing this is shown in Fig. 3 where the cable 11 carries two pulleys 12 and 12, the latter holding the trip mechanism 16 while the former holds the hook 14.

In Fig. 4, this object has been carried out by interposing the pulley 12 between the elevis13 on the pulley 12 and the tripping mechanism 16 to which latter it is connected by the binding rope 12". In this case the pulley 12 is of the self-locking type permitting the rope to move freely in the one direction only.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the device. In this instance the clevis 13 carries thecross arm 29 between the two side members of which are journaled a pivot pin for the clevis 13. and an idler 81. At the end nearer the idler is a lozking member 32. The locking member has a notched part which serves to hold the end of the sling frictionally or where the latter is in the form of a chain, by means of one of the chain links. The opposite end of the cross arm carries the tripping device 16. Suspended from the pin 30 is a hook 38 for the end of the guide rope 26. The hook 233 also is the support for a swive-lled pulley for the trip rope 22. The rope 22 is shown to pass over an idler 35 in the tripping device 16.

The above described devices are adapted to be utilized in various ways to carry out the purpose outlined for our invention but in its essentials the preferred mode of operation consists in bringing the tackle to the top of the pile of material then by means of the curved needle threading the two ropes through that portion which it is desired to carry in a single load. The novel form of the needle permits the rapid and effective passage through the material, coming out from the same side in which it was placed, the whole operation being carried out by one operator.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the end of the sling 23 is attached to the hook 1 1 and the opposite or free end connected to hook 19 of the tripping device. In connectthe free end 25 to the hook 1 1, the rope is first passed through the ring 17. The chain 15 simply acts to retain the trip mechanism after the sling is tripped.

1n the forms shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4-, the end of the guide rope 26 is carried through the material by the needle. simultaneously with the sling. it has been found that the material which is lifted by the sling is partly within the loop and partly beyond this eircumferei'ice, being held together by the interlaced strands of material. Thus the guide rope is surrounded by the interlaced material.

it now, the tackle is raised, the tripping levice is caused to slide on the ropes to the limit allowed by the chain 15. Consequently there is a constriction of the sling, resulting in firmly holding the material during the lifting movement. The position of the several parts remains as shown in Fig. 2 until the trip rope is pulled.

YVhen the hook 19 is released by the trip rope the eye 24: is disengaged and the load is free to slide down the guide rope which it will do by virtue of its interlaced character, the same having in the meantime been connected to the point of destination and drawn taut.

In this manner the load of material is maintained secure during the lifting movement and then released for travel in a guided course.

Other suggested means for constricting the material are evident from Figs. 3 to 8, inclusive. The lifting cable is adapted to draw the pulleys 12 and 12 together when the material is lifted, the method of attaching the sling and guide ropesbeing the same as described above. This is parlit) .pile of material twice.

ticularly etfective with loose material, giving a good leverage and power. The method of releasing the load is of course the same.

It is sometimes desirable to utilize the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 by which the constricting effort is exerted on rope 12 troni a point independent of the elevating mechanism. in such event the needle 2? is used to thread the sling and guide ropes through the mass, the connection made to hook lland the free end 2 1 to hook it). The rope 12 is then drawn taut by hand or while the load is lifted. lull on the trip rope frees the sling and permits the load to travel along the extended guide rope 26 to destination under control.

The cross arm shown in Figs. 5 and t; has the added advantage of greater stabilit in handling and ease ct operation. In carrying out the jll'OCtEt'ltil'O with this form ot the device the needle is passed through the The first time the sling, shown in the term of a chain is threaded from the detent 32 to the hook 19 encompassing the greater part of the load to be lifted and engaging a large portion of the material outside its circun'iterence in the previous inannerf The free end of the chain is drawn over the d-etent to constrict the load.

A second passage of the needle through the load, here shown at right angles to the plane of the sling and as shown in Fig. 6, brings the point of the needle 27 and the end 01" the guide rope up to the hook 253 on the cross arm. The guide is thus definitely placed uniformly with respect to the load and the eflicient delivery ot the load along the guide assured, when the trip is actuated by rope 22.

Fig. 7 shows a modification in which the sling rope 23 is carried up and fastened to the clevis 18. The slack in the chain 15 extending between the clevis 13 and the trip member will therefore permit the sling rope to he drawn taut during the first part of the elevating operation, thereby constricting the material. The amount or extent of constriction is of course controlled by the length of chain 15.

Fig. 8 shows a further modification in which the sling rope is taken around a pulley 31 fixed to the clevis 13 and thence down again to the trip mechanism. This arrangement of the sling rope over the extra pulley 31 provides a structure in which a relatively great take up or constricting action is obtained through a relatively short elevating movement. By the use of this extra pulley and arrangement of the sling rope. it will be seen that a relatively shorter chain 15 may be used. i

From the above description it will be noted that we have outlined novel procedure for the separation from the surface of e pile oi naterial of amount to be lifted without disturbing the remainder of the pile. This is accon'iplished by the use of our novel curved needle or liarpoon, which directs the sling through the material wherever desired and avoids the necessity of building up the lead over the ;)reviously placed sling as has been custon'iary in prior practice.

it is also noteworthy that the load so ruled is further confined or constricted by e action or. the tackle tor the lifting movenent, the weight of the material itself being instrumental in acconjiplishing this re sult.

This procedure also exceptional in the re icss with which the guide rope can be lllSt ted through the load to facilitatethe proper directional delivery to the point of destiinition.

From the description made it is clear that the novel procedure is adapted to carried out in various ways and through different instrumentalities of which these above pointed out are merely illustrative and that the scope of this invention is coextensive with the t'olowing claims.

What we claim is:

l. The method oi. segregating a quantity ot loose. interlaced material from a pile of the same which consists in introducing a flexible element ina cuiwed path through said pile of materiah and attaching the ends of said flexible element to an elevating means.

2. The method of transporting a quantity of loose interlaced material which consists in segregating the same from a pile of the same by the introduction of a flexible element in. curved path through said pile of material, subsequently establishing a directional means through said quantity, elevating said quantity by means ot' the flexible element and releasing said quantity for travel along said directional. means.

8. The method of: transporting material consisting in segregating a portion of the same concurrently with establishing therethrough a directional means. elevating said portion and delivering it under the guidance of the directional means.

The method. of transi aorting material consisting in s "negating a portion of the same. establis. therethrmigh a directional means. constricting the portion while elevating the some and. delivering it under the guidance of the directional means.

The method of transporting material consisting in segregating a portion of the same. establisiing therethrougi h a directional means, constricting the portion while elevating the same and releasing it at all points of support except in the direction of delivery.

6. A needle for handling interlaced material having a curved, pointed end adapted to leave the mass of interlaced material from the same side in Which it is inserted.

'7. In combination, a curved needle, a sling and a guide rope each adapted to be drawn through a mass of interlaced material by said needle, an elevating means receiving the ends of said sling and guide rope and a tripping mechanism for holding the free end of the sling.

8. In combination, a curved needle, a sling and a guide rope each adapted to be drawn through a mass of hay by said needle, an elevating means receiving the ends of said sling and guide rope, a tripping mechanism for holding the free end or the sling and means for constricting the sling during the op ration of the device.

9. In combination, an elevating means including a tripping mechanism, a sling having one end attached to said means and the other end to said tripping mechanism, and a flexible guiding member attached to said elevating means at a point remote from the tripping mechanism.

10. A duplex flexible element adapted to be threaded through loose material with one element adapted to form a sling and the other a relatively longer element adapted to form a guide.

11. In combination a curved needle adapted for threading into and out of loose material and a flexible element adapted to be drawn through the material by said needle and form a releasable sling for lifting said material and also a guide on Which the material may slide.

12. In combination a duplex flexible element adapted to form a sling and a guide, a member adapted to engage the loose end of the sling and to slide on the other end of the sling and on the guide portion of the element to take up the slack in the sling.

13. In combination a sling, a guide rope, a releasable locking pulley for taking up the slack in the sling and holding the load till released.

14. In combination a guide rope, a sling, a trip for the sling, and means for drawing the sling tightly around the enclosed material.

15. A curved needle of tubular section adapted to threading into and out of loose interlaced material and to drawing a sling rope therethrough.

16. A needle having uniform curvature adapted for inserting a flexible sling through loose interlaced material and segregating a portion thereof.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto afiixed our signatures.

JOHN W. GALLAHAN. GEORGE E. DUSINBER-RE. 

